Explorer.exe Crash on right click

[Fryedsoft]

I recently ran into this situation on My Windows 8 x64 System by accident, and figured I should file a bug report on this.

Whenever you Right click on C:\Documents and Settings (The Junction Shortcut to C:\users in Windows 8. Usually a Hidden OS Protected file) explorer.exe crashes. Using Shellexview, I narrowed it down to the Powerarchiver Shell extensions causing the crash.

PowerArchiver Version 14.00.23 (08/2013)

In Powerarchiver configuration under Shell Extensions:```
All Shell Extensions under compression and extraction are added under submenu.

Checked:
Use images beside menu items
Check for self-extracting ZIP, ARJ, ACE, BH, LHA, RAR files
Check for self-extracting CAB files
Display “Compress with options" item

Unchecked:
Open folder after extracting
Open Archive after creation
Split Powerarchiver/backup/FTP/Burner features into seperate submenus

Info From Shellexview:

==================================================
Extension Name : PowerArchiver Shell Extensions
Disabled : No
Type : Context Menu
Description :
Version : 14.0.6.1
Product Name :
Company :
My Computer : No
Desktop : No
Control Panel : No
My Network Places : No
Entire Network : No
Remote Computer : No
Filename : C:\Program Files (x86)\PowerArchiver\PASHLEXT64.DLL
CLSID : {d03d3e78-0c44-3d45-b15f-bcfd8a8b4c7e}
File Created Time : 6/21/2013 11:13:28 AM
CLSID Modified Time: 7/7/2013 11:21:56 PM
Microsoft : No
File Extensions : *, Folder, opensearchfilefolderresult
File Attributes : A
File Size : 2,381,696
.NET Extension : No
Digital Signature :

Info From explorer.exe crash from Windows 8 Problem Details:

Source
Windows Explorer

Summary
Stopped working

Date
‎8/‎24/‎2013 11:36 AM

Status
Report sent

Description
Faulting Application Path: C:\Windows\explorer.exe

Problem signature
Problem Event Name: APPCRASH
Application Name: Explorer.EXE
Application Version: 6.2.9200.16628
Application Timestamp: 51a94434
Fault Module Name: KERNELBASE.dll
Fault Module Version: 6.2.9200.16451
Fault Module Timestamp: 50988aa6
Exception Code: 0eedfade
Exception Offset: 000000000003811c
OS Version: 6.2.9200.2.0.0.256.103
Locale ID: 1033
Additional Information 1: d10c
Additional Information 2: d10c8d0ba911531f953db0b64550b81c
Additional Information 3: 906a
Additional Information 4: 906a285aa6f97391c16e3db5ef6c46f7

Extra information about the problem
Bucket ID: fabc203af10971ecfb9df312845f4e98 (118186029)

[spwolf]

awesome!

[spwolf]

Hello, please try with this release:
http://dl.powerarchiver.com/2013/powarc140030int.exe

thank you!

[Fryedsoft]

I know it’s been awhile, and at this point I’ve updated to 14.00.32 and Windows 8.1, but I can right click on C:\documents and settings with no issue now.

[spwolf]

this was indeed fixed, thanks for the report!

[Brian Gregory]

I’m getting this crashing explorer.exe in 64 bit Windows 7 when right clicking junctions.

Could the problem have come back?

Note that I have yet to confirm whether uninstalling PowerArchiver fixes it.
(I’m currently using PA 14.01.06)

Also it usually occurs the second time I right click on a junction in a particular open folder window.

[spwolf]

it seems to be fine here…

[Brian Gregory]

@spwolf:

it seems to be fine here…

Yes, I agree, it must be something else.
Sorry.

[Brian Gregory]

CORRECTION:

I’ve been experimenting with SysInternals autoruns.exe disabling things to see what cures my problem and disabling this:

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Classes\Folder\ShellEx\ContextMenuHandlers\PowerArchiver64

which refers indirectly to
"c:\program files (x86)\powerarchiver\pashlext64.dll"

fixes the crashing problem when right clicking junctions, at the expense (obviously) of losing the PA right click on folder operations.

Next I’ll try rearranging my PA context menu items to see if that fixes it.

[Brian Gregory]

No, fiddling subtly with PA’s right click options makes no difference.

[spwolf]

try this:
1. save you PA registry via Options> Export settings.
2. Reset your PA options by using set defaults

If it still happens, try disabling every other shell extension but enabling PA and lets see if it happens then.

We have to find a way to reproduce it here.

What exactly are you clicking on? I tried C:\Documents and Settings as well as C:\users All Users or Default user and it all seems fine, and i have tons of various different PA shell extensions on.

Also - always use latest PA - which is 14.02.

thanks!

[Brian Gregory]

I think you probably need more than one junction for it to fail.
Please try this:
Download JUNCTION from here:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-gb/sysinternals/bb896768.aspx
Extract junction.exe from the junction.zip you downloaded in to C:
(or the root of any other local drive or partition)
open command prompt and cd to the root of your chosen drive, run junction, and agree to EULA.
Then do:

md test-dir

junction junc1 test-dir

junction junction-test test-dir

Then open an explorer window and right click junc1 several times.
You don’t need to choose anything from the resulting menu if it appears.

I find the first right click produces a menu with slightly garbled PowerArchiver parts in it and then the second time explorer crashes.

Afterwards you can clean up by doing this at the command prompt:

junction junc1 /d
junction junction-test /d
rd test-dir
del junction.exe

or just delete the created items using explorer

Afterthought:
If you use C:\ you may need to run the command prompt as Administrator.

[Brian Gregory]

@spwolf:

…
Also - always use latest PA - which is 14.02.

Why isn’t this showing up in PatchBeam, I have asked it to show me BETA versions.

[spwolf]

i tried it with 3 junctions and was able to reproduce it… thanks!

[spwolf]

Try this latest release please, it is up on the PatchBeam… let us know how it works

[Brian Gregory]

@spwolf:

Try this latest release please, it is up on the PatchBeam… let us know how it works

It works great.
Thanks.

[Brian Gregory]

Hello it’s me again.

I’ve found ANOTHER case where right clicking a junction still crashes explorer due to PowerArchiver. (Using PowerArchiver 14.02.03).

Please try this:
Download JUNCTION from here:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-gb/sysinternals/bb896768.aspx
Extract junction.exe from the junction.zip you downloaded in to C:
(or the root of any other local drive or partition)
open command prompt and cd to the root of your chosen drive, run junction, and agree to EULA.
Then do:

md test-dir

junction junc1 test-dir

rd test-dir

Then open an explorer window and right click junc1.
Explorer should crash.

(If it doesn’t maybe you need two junctions in the root).

Afterwards you can clean up by doing this at the command prompt:

junction junc1 /d
del junction.exe

or just delete the created items using explorer

If you use C:\ you may need to run the command prompt as Administrator.

Thanks in advance.

[Brian Gregory]

Hello?

[spwolf]

We got it, we will check it out for next release, as usual

[Brian Gregory]

@spwolf:

We got it, we will check it out for next release, as usual

Is this (Explorer crash when right clicking a junction pointing to non existent folder) supposed to be fixed in 14.02.05 ?

Either it isn’t fixed for me or, as often happens, Powerarchiver is proving difficult to update to the latest version without some old files getting left in use.